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Obama: I'll 'fight any attempt' to reverse immigration action

President Obama called a looming shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security "irresponsible" and vowed to "fight any attempt to turn back" his immigration policies in an exclusive op-ed published in The Hill on Tuesday.

"It was my hope that a new, Republican-led Congress would seek to govern responsibly," Obama wrote.

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"[Instead] we’ve even heard irresponsible threats to shut down the Department of Homeland Security — the very agency tasked with securing our borders and keeping Americans safe in a time of new threats — for no reason other than partisan disagreement over my actions."

The op-ed — also translated for Spanish-language media — comes with Republicans divided over how to roll back the president's executive actions on immigration while funding DHS before it runs out on Saturday.

Conservative House Republicans passed a DHS funding bill that would undo programs that shield millions of illegal immigrants from deportation. But Senate Democrats blocked that measure repeatedly, insisting on a clean funding bill.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Monday moved to strip the immigration measures from the DHS funding bill, setting up separate votes, but it is unclear if House conservatives will accept that maneuver.

Obama on Tuesday showed a combative tone, saying he was certain his actions would stand and calling on Congress to take up comprehensive immigration reform.

"I am confident that all the steps I’ve taken on my own to fix our broken immigration system will eventually be implemented," the president said. "But I also continue to believe that these steps are no substitute for congressional action.

The president called U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen's ruling "misguided."

"Make no mistake, I disagree with this judge’s ruling," Obama wrote in The Hill. "My administration will fight this ruling with every tool at our disposal, and I have full confidence that these actions will ultimately be upheld."

Hanen ruled that the administration must wait to implement the controversial policies until courts rule on a legal challenge brought by 26 states.

On Monday, Obama instructed Justice Department officials to seek an emergency court order allowing him to move ahead with his orders.

"It’s time to end the era of manufactured crises, put politics aside, and focus on doing what’s best for America," Obama wrote in The Hill op-ed.

On Wednesday, the president will take his message on the road, hosting a town hall on immigration in Miami.